Morocco Opens Door to Australian Livestock Imports Ahead of Eid Al-Adha

Australia is now on the list of meat suppliers to Morocco. The National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA) has signed a health protocol with the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC), allowing the import of livestock, according to L’Économiste.

This protocol, which is not synonymous with a formal trade agreement between the two countries, opens up access to the Australian market for Moroccan importers. This partnership aims to meet the needs of the Moroccan market, particularly to rebuild a local herd severely impacted by the drought, explained Mark Harvey-Sutton, CEO of ALEC, adding that this opening will benefit sheep producers in Western Australia and is a positive development for the two nations.

Spain, Brazil and Romania were until now the traditional suppliers of Morocco. The kingdom sources cattle from Spain and Brazil. Sheep mainly come from Spain and Romania.

The signing of this protocol comes as Eid Al-Adha, scheduled for June, "as domestic production is no longer sufficient to meet local demand for cattle and sheep." A relief for importers and consumers. The Moroccan herd has indeed been severely affected by the drought over the past six years. Faced with the shortage of water, the lack of fodder and the rise in the prices of animal feed, many breeders had to slaughter their animals. Realizing the situation, Morocco has stepped up its imports. According to the Foreign Exchange Office, live animal imports between January and November 2024 recorded an 83.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023, reaching a total of 4.84 billion dirhams.